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Human Rights

This paper was written by two 4th-year students of International Criminal Law who worked as interns with the Canadian Harm Reduction Network, through the University of Toronto's Service Learning program. Their research draws on academic and community sources.

The government estimates that the War on Drugs costs the United States approximately $69 billion a year. However this figure does unjustice to the toll exacted on millions of Americans and their families. Study the life stories and portraits presented here as you would an academic text. These men, women, and children - whether addicted, convicted, or elected - are inspiring individuals, struggling against all odds, doing their best to stem the growing tide of unacceptable losses.

UNDUN is a coalition of users, ex-users, and allies who are committed to ongoing organizing of local user groups as the basis of an active national movement for harm reduction. We believe that drugs users are the strongest voice for the needs of drugs users.

The United Kingdom Harm Reduction Alliance UKHRA is a campaigning coalition of drug users, health and social care workers, criminal justice workers and educationalists that aims to put public health and human rights at the centre of drug treatment and service provision for drug users.

Voices Of Community Advocates & Leaders (VOCAL) is a statewide grassroots membership organization building power among low-income people affected by HIV/AIDS, the drug war and mass incarceration, along with the organizations that serve us, to create healthy and just communities. We accomplish this through community organizing, leadership development, public education, participatory research and direct action.